(ASO KOGYO YOSHIKUMA TANKO)
Yoshikuma Coal Company, owned by the ASO family
FUKUOKA-ken, KAHO-gun, KEISEN-machiLocation
Map - show relationship to other nearby campsDetailed
Location Map
Camp sits on a rise surrounded
by a 10 ft fence. Six barracks, slate rooks, each with five 12 mat
rooms with hallway running length of each building (sliding door
access).

Time Line:10 May 1945: camp established as
Fukuoka Branch #26Sept 1945: Rescue effected

POWS arrived at the Usui railroad station, just south of the camp.Photographs:

Group
picture of Aussies
approx. six weeks after surrender. Most still appear emaciated. Caption
indicates "Usui" which was the nearby railroad station. From Ken
Gregson: "My late father, Robert George Gregson, (known as George), is
the chap seated on the very left."

MacCarthy Collection(Courtesy of the MacCarthy family, Castletownbere, Ireland, with special thanks to Bob Jackson for scans; for full story, see A Doctor's Sword.)

Group photo of British POW'sMessage from the Commander of Fukuoka Prisoners of War Camps, Aug. 22, 1945No. 26 Camp Orders by Sqdn Leader J.A. MacCarthy, Sept. 3, 1945Supply drop notice to POW'sNote from "Lucky 13" (see below transcript)Statement from the Chinese Camp: Why we killed the Chinese officer in command of our camp

"This
is the text from a hand-written note which was included with the
supplies dropped by the US Air Force following the Japanese surrender.
It is from the crew of the "Lucky 13." The USAF 13th Squadron was
involved dropping supplies on camps in mainland Japan following the
Japanese surrender." --Bob Jackson

Hi ya fellas,Here’s
some good old army chow, don’t know when we’ll be back again. Hope you
enjoy all the drops and hope there’s plenty for all. How’s our aim
anyway? We hope its better than usual. Our crew "The Lucky 13" wish you
all a very speedy trip home which we know you’re all waiting eagerly
for, but believe me everything possible is being done to get you boys
back home as swiftly as possible. The sooner MacArthur steps on
Japanese soil the quicker you’ll leave.Well I hope you find this letter is all I can say, that’ll depend on our aim.Well I’ll close now so the crew of the Lucky 13 say so long and may God be with you and Bless you all.Lucky 13NOTICE

Slave
Labor:
POWS used in coal mining in formerly closed and dangerous mine. This
mine system was- and still is - owned by the ASO family. The son, Taro Aso, was [in 2009] the Prime
Minister of Japan. The Aso family continues to
deny it used any slave labor during the war. The Aso family remains a
family of dishonor and shames the Japanese. In early January 2009,
Prime Minister Aso admitted the mine used prisoners but denied any
responsibility for any abuse or deaths. He issued a meaningless apology.

News Story: From the Japan
Times - proof of slave labor being used at Aso Mines. In post
war report, Aso mines denied responsibility for the two deaths even
though they happened over two months after arrival. Both died from
effects of severe malnutrition. Underwood article in the Asia-Pacific
Journal, and this
article; Shukan
Gendai Article
with English translation.

Japanese_Report_Blueprints.pdf (original documents)Camp_Report_Mgmnt_Mining_Co.pdf
- asst. reports on camp #26, table on management of all Kyushu camps,
Yoshikuma Mining Co. (Aso Mining) report (original documents)Hell Ships:First group arrived on the Asama
Maru. Many men transferred here from Fukuoka #2
Nagasaki. A large number of the men British definitely came up on the WALES
MARU (Weills) which departed Singapore 16 May 1943.
(per diary of Wilkie and contacts from John H. Byrnes- Source: Robin Lim). A
number of these men were transferred here from Kobe House (camp
2B). Known that most of the Aussies came up on the Awa
Maru.
Rosters:300 Survivors;
Australian roster prepared by Neil MacPherson and Morris Casey of
Australia now revised per actual rescue rosters.Americans:
NONEAustralians:
197 men with rank and units (Includes two
who died; Watson and Wilkie); revision pending with rosters located RG
331 Box 927
Dutch: 2 menBritish:100 men including one officer; rosters
located RG 331 Box 927Dutch: Two
men:
Belmorte, Colaco Arnold Herman
Maximiliaan, NEI Army, Kapitein Doktor,
POW# 15301
Groot Wesseldijk, Alidus
Theodorus, NEI Army, Luitenant Doktor, POW#
15302
Ask for spreadsheet which
contains more information.Original
rosters List 1 (PDF)Original
rosters List 2 (PDF)FUK-26_Rosters_1946-02-16.pdf - ORIGINALSAffidavits:Jorgenson, William
Victor- short affidavitHill, Athol
George - short affidavitWatson_affidavit.pdf